The Thousand Nights
by Niveous Lilt
Summary: Rumor has it that he had killed three thousand virgins by the time he was introduced to Naruto sasunaru


**Chapter 1: Prologue**

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**One should rather die**

**Then be betrayed**

**There is no deceit in death**

**It delivers precisely what it has promised**

**Betrayal though….**

**Betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope**

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Long ago in a land forgotten my many, but known by everyone… there lived a king who was in love with a women.

The king loved his beautiful Sakura ,and he would swear on his life that she loved him back. Unbeknownst to him Sakura, his beautiful Sakura, was deeply in love with his son, Sasuke. Sasuke it would seem loved her as well. And as time passed the king mysteriously fell ill with a great sickness. Each day he grew paler, and more weak.. calling out for is beautiful Sakura, and she was always there offering sweet smelling teas and herbs...that smelled of peppermint.

The king passed away leaving behind a forgotten kingdom…a dead kingdom. Sasuke was ecstatic for at last he could now marry his beloved Sakura, his pride and his joy. He would have everything.

As king , Sasuke often went away to battle laving behind a heartbroken Sakura. In his absence Sakura sought out to fill the hole that Sasuke had left, spending many hours in the library and bathhouse not exactly reading, or bathing. And when Sasuke would return tired and spent she would rush to his side offering sweet smelling tea that smelled strongly of peppermint and herbs, and the king would fall into a long sleep.

One rainy night while the king was away on business the royal consultant and best friend of Sasuke, Shino had just finished blowing out the last of the candle that lit his study (tucked away at the back of the vast library) when he heard a soft moan. Curious if not a bit frightened Shino carefully made his way through the library pausing when another moan reached his ears.

Eventually Shino sighed. It seemed as though he had searched the whole library. Shrugging indifferently, Shino turned to go out the back entrance. He froze when something moved in the veils of a dark bookcase. Squinting, Shino could make out two writhing bodies. He bit his lip we he realized that it was Sakura, lovely green eyed Sakura, who was arching into the cook's large hands.

Shino slipped silently away but not before meeting the glowing eyes of Sakura.

Days went by. In the hall Shino would pass the queen. Sakura would smile coyly and offer meaningful looks that only lasted seconds, and to the normal eye it would seem as though she was simply greeting a friend of her husbands; therefore a friend of her own. Sometimes when they were alone with just the walls to hear, she would often whisper "don't tell" in a casual hush

And for a long long time Shino didn't tell.

One morning Sasuke awoke and found not sakura sitting by his bed but Shino…holding his sweet peppermint tea.

"Sakura?" Sasuke whispered hoarsely.

"No" Shino said staring into the tea sorrowfully. "My king…I am afraid you have been deceived...by your queen"

Sasuke's eyes darkened to a indescribable shade of black, darker than the devil's soul. Although blinded by love…stupid he was not. In a fit of rage Sasuke jumped from the bed, pure adrenaline rushing his blood. Out of habit he grabbed his sword...out of anger he tightened his grip around it.

The king walked slowly but in big strides, throwing open every door in his path. He stopped when he reached the huge doors leading the bathing area. Sasuke didn't know how he knew she was in there …he found that he just did.

Sasuke blinked and stepped through the door taking pleasure at the way his wife and the cook jumped as the door slammed against the wall.

The frightened cook quickly moved away from Sakura, already sputtering excuses. Sasuke gutted him in the middle of an apology.

It seemed like it took a lifetime before he turned to Sakura who was watching him with wide green eyes he had once found so pretty, but now looked so washed out against pale skin. He didn't flinch once as he plunged his sword into her heart. I guess… he forgot how to love after that.

Since then Sasuke had remarried many times. Each night he took a new virgin wife to his bed. Only virgins were permitted. The following morning they were beheaded. He refused to be betrayed again. After all … a women was only good for a night of sex, after that they poison your mind with fake sentiments and words of comfort.

The prince grew cold and heartless. Soon enough he stopped attending the beheadings.

Rumor has it that he had killed three thousand virgins by the time he was introduced to Naruto.

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Naruto smiled sadly at his father. "Wont you even consider it?"

"Naruto I cant let you do this" The older man frowned turning away from the pleading blue eyes of his son.

Naruto was the youngest son of the vizier, whose miserable duty it was to behead the virgins that the king married on a daily basis.

"Didn't you once tell me to follow my heart?" Naruto asked. He scrambled to his feet as his father got up to leave the room.

"Yes, but this? This is suicide! don't you understand Naruto? He will kill you!"

"I have a plan"

"Those girls had plans too! I understand your concern, but Tenten is almost a grown women. She can take care of herself" the older man stared down at his dirty hands. As if he could see the blood staining them.

"I have a plan, plus, Tenten is my friend, and I'll do whatever I can do to help. Even if that means dying." Naruto said. His voice was strong and confident but his eyes held fear.

"Hear this story my son! And I beg of you to change your mind! there was once a merchant who owned much money and many men. He was rich in cattle and camels. He had also a wife and family, and he dwelt in the country, being experienced in husbandry and devoted to agriculture."

Now god Most High had endowed him with the power to speak to animals, but under pain of death if he divulged the gift to any. So he kept it secret for fear.

He had in his house a bull and an donkey. As the merchant was sitting one day with his servants and his children ,he heard the bull say to the donkey:  
"Men wait upon you and feed you, while I am taken in the middle of the night, and I tire at plowing the earth from dawn till dusk. I am forced to do more than I can and to bear ill treatment from night to night and you are always lying at ease, unless the master has some business! then he rides you to town and returns with you the Next night. You sleep while I am sleepless, I hunger still while you eat your fill!"

When the bull stopped speaking, the donkey turned toward him and said: "Oh you lost one! you are the simplest of simpletons, and you knows nothing of good advice. Have you not heard the saying of the wise?

Now listen to me, Bull! When they tie you to the manger, paw at the ground and lash out with you hoofs. When you go to the field and they lay the thing called yoke on your neck, lay down and rise not again, And if you rise, lie down a second time. When they bring you home and offer beans, fall backward and only sniff at the meat and withdraw. So you have a rest from work.

When the Bull heard these words, he knew the donkey was his friend and thanked him. Now the merchant, my son, understood all that passed between them. the Next day the driver took the bull and, put the plow on his neck, trying to make him work .But the bull refused to plow. Then the herd led him home and stabled him in his stall

A servant went to the merchant and reported: "My master, the bull is sick. He refused his work last night- he refused to eat this morning." Now the merchant understood what all this meant, so he said "Take that rascal donkey, and set the yoke on his neck, and bind him to the plow and make him do bull's work.!"  
My son ,you will die for lack of wits." said the vizier

Naruto grinned. His blue eyes glowed with mirth.

We shall see"

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**Yea…not exactly a update, but I thought that I should delve deeper into Sasuke's past before I even attempted to write this. Lately it seems I have been really really busy… with it begin homecoming week, my art entry due tomorrow and a major German test (that I think I'm going to fail) I have been swamped. I wrote this in science. I was so embarrassed when my teacher called me out and told me to stop writing notes in class…I unfortunely refused to listen and I had to read it aloud. Imagine everyone's surprise when I read "long ago in a kingdom" HA! take that…its wasn't a note.**

**On a more random note. I bet you didn't expect Tenten and Shino to be in this. **


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